Hen loosing feathers from under tail to chest.

[luluvantuckett]

I rescued two hens from the animal shelter. One looks great (Carla) but the other (Camilla) has been loosing feathers from below her tail to Che chest. They both are eating and drinking just fine. Carla has been giving herself regular dirt baths, but I haven't seen Camilla do it once. She has had poop on her belly from the transport home about a week ago. Carla has brushed hers all off with the dirt baths. I just bathed Camilla and took a photo. So her feathers are all wet. I'm hoping that will help but if there is a possible parasite what should I do? She also has been sneezing the last 4-5 days. I also noticed a metal tag on her wing. The shelter said they were "owner surrender" but the tag is making me think they weren't just backyard chickens.

 

[hennible]

Some bigger back yard flocks, or breeders tag birds. Take a pic when she's dry, may be better for people to judge from. Sneezing could be many things... A cold or something more serious. Could the feather loss be her moulting? Is she laying eggs?

 

[luluvantuckett]

We are getting one egg every day out of the two of them. I can't tell which one if not both. Camilla (the one showing her hiney) has been doing much more roosting behavior (I'm assuming... I'm very new). She scratches in the nesting box and places the straw around her several times a day. But I find the eggs only in the morning. They were surrendered to the shelter because they were "not performing their duties as wished"... But I couldn't imagine what that would mean for meat birds. I'll take more picks in the morning. I would be relieved to know she was molting. I've been the proud owner of hens for the first time ever for a week so I don't know.